That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner in Beacon. And perhaps, for the rest of your careers as huntsmen and huntresses."
Nex poked said partner's hip.
Weiss flinched, her entire frame tilting. Almost falling over like a bowling pin. She huffed, frowning as her eyes darted between him and the Emerald Forest.
"Don't worry. I got the partner thing covered," Nex said, offering her a smile. "What's your landing strategy?"
"Hard light and gravity," Weiss whispered. Probably to angle her fall. "What's yours?"
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You'll meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."
Well, that was edgy—certainly more than what he could manage.
Did Ozpin really have an edgy streak?
Like him, even. Admittedly—if Yang, Roman, and Mekel were to be believed.
Nex shrugged. Whatever.
They were lined up on the cliff side, just under the ballroom's balcony. It was eight—a perfect time to go hoverboarding into the Emerald Forest.
Nex clutched his landing strategy, pinning the sleek metal under his arm. There was no point in deploying his armour. His coat and button-up would suffice until the stronger varieties of Grimm appeared. He held out his board and grinned. "You'll see. It's called inspiration. I just can't control it."
And sometimes, it was good for something.
"You're planning something," Weiss said, shooting his board a look. "And I'm not sure if I should stop you or not."
"You'll be monitored for the duration of the test. But our instructors will not intervene. There's an abandoned ruin at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We'll regard that item, as well as your standing, and evaluate you appropriately. Are there any questions?"
Nex glanced at the headmaster—the one standing in the middle of their stick-straight line. "Hey, Oz. I got a question. Can I go now?"
Weiss twitched, shifting on one foot. Probably trying to avoid the headmaster's personal attention.
Well, good for her.
But there really was no point in doing it. Not when Ozpin hardly seemed to be present—if at all, judging from the blank eyes and the dreadful monotone.
Was the headmaster lost in his head or something?
"You may. If you are so inclined, Nexus Shade," Ozpin said, taking a sip from his mug. "The rest of you, take your positions."
The headmaster did not need to say anything more.
Nex rolled up his sleeve. He swiped at his bracer, smirking as his little inspiration whirred into life. It was at nine-tenths capacity, the translucent bar flickering.
Those tests in the bathroom were particularly harrowing—where harrowing was smack-dab between smashing into walls and almost getting my skull caved in. Admittedly, he was insane. Crazy, even. But he was still sane enough to test out his gear before he entrusted his life to it.
Nex sprinted off the cliff, tossing the board. His feet smashed into the length of steel—practically a grey, corgi-themed skateboard.
It pushed back against his weight, sitting on nothing but air.
Dear gravity.
Fuck you.
"Hell yeah," Nex said, a grin stretching his cheeks. "Project Antigravity is a go."
The thrusters engaged, launching him towards the Emerald Forest. A dog barked as the AI took over. The wind blew and slammed into his extra pair of ears. His fringe whipped around his face, even as he squinted at the multi-coloured blurs.
Which one of them was Weiss Schnee?
That one.
The white streaked with midnight blue, lagging behind the rest.
His hoverboard lanced through the gap.
Nex angled his body forward, much like how a swimmer cut through a pool. Only he was ploughing through air resistance instead of water. Hard light pinned the flaps of his trench coat, minimizing his drag force. As long as he went just slightly above his normal speeds, then he would be perfectly fine. He would eventually catch up with her, judging from their respective speeds.
Weiss pressed her heels into a blue glyph, leaping off towards another, the tail of her scarf fluttering.
"That's not fair," Weiss said, a black glyph spinning on her grass-stained boots. She pouted, even as her eyes met his. "That is so unfair, partner."
Well, that settled it then.
Nex kept up with her pace, making sure to avoid getting in her way. While the hoverboard could hold their combined weight, there was no point in messing up her plan. And well, it was easy enough. The protection AI calculated exactly where she would go next, along with where to shoot and move if someone just so happened to launch an attack—but that was neither here nor there.
"Life is unfair," Nex said, smirking as his partner slid off the last of her glyphs. "Live with it."
Weiss broke through the treeline, landing on the grass below him.
Nex jumped off his hoverboard, dead leaves and dirt crunching under his boots. He swiped at his bracer.
The corgi face plate blinked and barked out an affirmative, zooming off north. It moved at approximately three hundred kilometres per hour, enough to kick up a tornado of leaves and sawdust. Without people riding it, the corgi hoverboard could use the full potential of its thrusters—free from the risks of having a human passenger. Inertia and all.
Weiss smirked, shaking a few leaves loose from her tussled hair. "Our poor dog. I should be mad, Mr Shade. But I think I can forgive you. Just this once."
Nex shrugged, keeping his eyes peeled on the lush, overgrown trees. Their leaves swayed under translucent shafts of light. So far, nothing seemed to breathe in the shadows.
Good. Maybe they could get away without needless fighting. Not that a fight was particularly unwelcome. Of course not.
"Shall we set a record, Miss Schnee?" Nex said, smiling.
Weiss nodded, grinning as she dashed off north.
Apparently, she expected him to follow. She totally missed the context behind what he just said. But still, it was probably his fault for forgetting to tell her.
Curse his brain.
"Well, shit..." Nex said, his smile dipping into a frown. "She's not going to like it."
No choice then.
His calves tensed, his aura breathing warmth into his bones.
He blurred through the trees, tracing the path of his partner. Hrunting and Vigilance was ready to be drawn from his hip. Oathkeeper rested in his locker, as the sword's extra weight would have only slowed him down. The race was expected. Well, even anticipated. But it was a race he already won before it could even start.
After all, why race when you could take a leisurely stroll through the Emerald Forest?
Fuck.
If only his partner knew that, instead of breaking into a dead sprint.
Thus, they broke into a clearing. And it was empty—the first thing that made Pareidolia twitch. The second was the cawing of a bird.
A big, black bird.
Weiss skidded to a halt, brandishing Myrtenaster against the Grimm.
The Nevermore dived.
Bone-white talons extended, the giant bird looked like a literal monster—a monster straight out of a fairy tale. The ones parents probably used to scare their kids. Well, not that Amariss ever did with him.
Weiss lunged to the side, letting the talons miss her head. Spikes of ice harried the monstrous bird.
It shrieked, the cry echoing through the trees—across the forest definitely crammed with agitated Grimm.
"Damn it," Nex said, his extra pair of ears flattening. "We gotta move."
Weiss frowned, fire gushing from her rapier—straight at the bird. Gods forbid it lit up a tree or something. "Why?"
Hrunting and Vigilance left his hip.
He squeezed, unseen gears clicking and whirring. The barrels groaned, fusing with the scabbard. Black embedded in midnight blue.
Nex lifted Hrunting and Vigilance, its sheathed tip staring at the skies. He squinted, tracing the sleek barrels—the cannon's mouth, and the weapon of the wall. His finger twitched, his aura calling on nature's wrath.
Screw it.
More destructive methods were necessary, right?
Hrunting and Vigilance screamed, blasting thunder straight at the giant bird. His entire arm shook as his ears rang. The golden, electrified shell smashed into its chest, clouding the trees with smoke—smoke that smelled like rotten chicken and day-old vomit.
His nose wrinkled.
Apparently, the supercharged shell fried a hole straight through the Nevermore, turning it into barbeque with one shot.
Well, Hrunting and Vigilance did have the raw range and firepower. Along with all the drawbacks.
"That bird just alerted its friends," Nex said, flexing his wrist. The heat was starting to creep into his palm. "We should go before this place gets surrounded."
Growling.
Beowolves.
Just past the thickets bounding the path.
Nex gripped Hrunting and Vigilance, weaving around the twigs littering the grass. His partner's footsteps followed behind, along with a lot of cracking and crunching.
There were others nearby, judging from the gnashing of steel and the rattling of gunfire.
Well, his pre-gaming worked then.
He would have told her to avoid stepping on anything that could give them away, but that would have slowed their pace. Walking the woods was something one did not learn on a whim. And it was better to be followed by the Beowolves north than to be trapped south away from their objective. Or worse, be slowed down by their fellow—
"Weiss?! Watch out!"
Nex spun on his heel.
A red blur crashed into Weiss, tackling her into a thick brush.
An Ursa Major tumbled out of the thicket, roaring at the downed huntresses-in-training.
A familiar, black-haired woman burst through the shadows, weaving circles around the ten-foot, bear-like Grimm. She was probably distracting the thing before it could capitalize on their mistake. Two blades inflicted cuts on the monster's hairy thighs, but it would not be enough to end it.
Hrunting left Vigilance, eased into a two-handed grip—his left hand above, his right hand below. Perks of being ambidextrous and all.
Nex leapt, parrying the bone-white claw, his blade flashing silver—brimming with light. Light capable of splitting a blade of grass in half.
The arm and the blade collided.
Tremors pricked his arms, his longsword shaking under the Ursa's limb. The metal dug inches into black flesh, blood dripping over the silvery steel.
The black-haired woman lunged and flipped over the appendage. A ribbon looped around its thick neck.
Apparently, his new ally saw the opening.
She twisted, her swords tearing off the monster's head. Blood spilt over the grass, smoke rising from the headless corpse.
Not bad. It took only five seconds. Maybe three.
"Ruby, you clumsy dolt," Weiss said, patting away the dirt from her coat. "You have got to stop bumping into me."
Ruby grimaced, her ears burning the colour of her cloak. "I'm so, so sorry! It won't happen again, I promise."
"See that it doesn't," Weiss said, huffing. "We shouldn't be so clumsy."
Nex planted Hrunting into Vigilance, sheathing the sword in its rightful scabbard. "Well, can't cry over spilled milk. You've already found a partner then?"
The black-haired woman peered at him with amber eyes—eyes that lingered on his extra pair of ears.
Huh.
She looked away, sheathing her weapon.
Pareidolia deduced the sword, almost a dagger really, had a semi-automatic attachment. And its sheathe—a cleaver, was as sharp as the sword. The ribbon was there to add versatility to her attacks.
She probably used her weapons to outright overwhelm her opponents with speed and dual-wielding. It was the exact opposite of his style, but to each their own.
"Yep. This is Blake Belladonna," Ruby said, smiling at the amber-eyed woman. "She doesn't talk much."
"We can see that," Weiss said, shooting him a smirk. "My name is Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Blake shifted on her legs, saying nothing. But still, she bobbed her head into a nod. Her amber eyes turned to stare at him, her stone-carved face betraying nothing.
Was it even possible?
It truly was, apparently.
Ruby Rose found another recruit for their high society—the society of socially challenged elites. It was just his fellow member's luck she partnered with someone who seemed even more awkward than her. Quieter, even. Maybe even a shy, socially awkward stalker—the very same one from the auditorium, then the rest of the day after.
Blake Belladonna challenged his position as the silent, mysterious guy in the upper echelons of their society. And there was no way he was going to lose the war. But just for this battle, just this once, she would have her victory.
Nex shrugged, offering her a polite smile. "I'm Nexus. Nexus Shade, but you can call me Nex like everybody else. Nice to meet you."
Blake glanced at his partner. "It's nice to meet you, Nex."
"Well, let's go," Ruby said, coughing into her sleeve. "The relics won't get themselves."
Blake frowned, her eyes staring into his. "Weiss is your partner?"
The question was definitely addressed to him, judging from the lack of Nex and the presence of your.
"Yes. Nex is my partner," Weiss said, her eyes narrowing. Twisting into daggers. "Something wrong, Belladonna?"
But still, there was no beating Mt. Weiss. Not when she wanted to speak. And certainly not when she wanted to explode.
Blake shook her head, her black bow dead-stiff. Unmoving. "No. It's nothing. Schnee."
Blake Belladonna loped away, further across the clearing, towards the relics and their objective.
Ruby Rose smiled—a thin smile caught between this is my life now and send help.
There was nothing to do about either of them, so he shrugged and followed after Blake.
Weiss kept his pace, cracking even more twigs and branches.
What did the poor, poor things ever do to her?
Their impromptu quartet jogged through the Emerald Forest.
Ruby and Weiss were competing for the noisiest award in their group, judging by the fact that they never watched what they stepped on. But he and Blake moved on a seemingly equal wavelength, the amber-eyed stalker practically ghosting over both grass and dirt as she jumped down a slope. Nothing looked out of place where she passed. No sounds, no nothing. Just like his mother when they went Hrunting. Or just him, in hindsight.
Was she a ghost?
Or a ninja?
Maybe a ghost ninja then.
The ghost-ninja walked seven feet ahead, leading them around the other students clashing against Grimm.
It was definitely a good idea. The other students could distract the packs of Grimm, so they could pass without fighting. Not that said agitation was his fault.
Of course not.
Weiss justified it by saying the initiation was a test, and the pairs were expected to arrive at the objective on their own.
Ruby simply went along. She stared at the ghost-ninja, contemplating her rear with puppy-dog eyes. Well, puppy-dog eyes that might as well have been mercury, but puppy-dog eyes nonetheless.
"Nex," Ruby said, frowning. She glanced at his partner. "How do you talk to Weiss?"
Weiss opened her mouth.
He nudged her hip.
She shot him a look, her lips pursing into a flat line.
Nex smiled, quirking an eyebrow.
Her lips softened, glistening pink under a shaft of light.
Huh.
Was she wearing some lip gloss? Or maybe some lipstick?
That was definitely new.
"I just talk to her," Nex said, shrugging. Whatever. It was none of his business what she chose to wear, anyway. "Right, Weiss?"
Weiss smiled, shaking her head. "Yes, that's right. If this is about you and your new partner, then don't be disappointed. It takes time to develop chemistry between pairs."
Time, indeed. They attended the same school for four years. But they only really talked a few months ago. And maybe it took a White Fang attack, a Sanus Festival and an extended stay in the hospital to solidify their partnership, but it was definitely worth it. There was no way he could trade her for any other person in the world.
"Really?" Ruby said. "How long?"
Weiss shot him a look, snapping another twig. Ugh. Except for that part. "We've been partners since... Well, the second semester of our fourth year. I'd say a lot of time."
"Half a year or so," Nex said. But no one was really counting. Right? "Maybe Blake's just shy. Give her time."
Ruby smiled, pumping her fist. "Thanks, guys."
Blake Belladonna broke past the treeline.
They followed.
There, in the distance, lay the ruins.
A rickety, old bridge led over the long fall down. Cracks ran along its length, the dusty stone one shotgun shell away from annihilation. Or even one supercharged bolt.
But still, they had to proceed.
"Alright," Ruby said, waving at the bridge. She grinned. "Who wants to go first?"
The ghost-ninja hopped on the bridge. Apparently, she was the type to volunteer. She sprinted to the other side, her feet gliding over the cracked stone.
The bridge did not collapse.
Gods forbid.
Blake would have turned into a very real ghost ninja if it had.
But still. Great. Thank you, ghost-ninja.
They followed, straight into the familiar ruins.
The relics sat on the altar. Chess pieces. Most of them were already missing. Well, partly his fault.
Nex fingered the piece of wood in his pants. He pulled it out, fiddling with the black knight.
Why chess, though?
Maybe Ozpin really had an edgy streak.
"I want this thing," Ruby said, facing the ghost ninja. "It matches the colour of our clothes. And knights are awesome. Any objections?"
Well, she was right.
The ghost-ninja did wear black and white.
Ruby wore black, complete with red accents.
Obviously, black was the common denominator between them. Come to think of it, the ghost-ninja and his partner had the same colour scheme. Black and white, even. But that was probably just a coincidence. The knights are awesome part was debatable—bards were definitely cooler.
Well, what could he possibly say?
His mother was a minstrel—a bard, before she became a huntress. Or even a knightess. Amariss Shade—wanderer of the endless frontier, up until she winded up in Beacon Academy for some reason or another.
Blake shook her head. "No. Take whatever you want."
Weiss strolled towards the altar, her boots clacking over stone. Probably to take a chess piece.
Nex patted her shoulder. She stilled, shooting him a questioning look—arched eyebrows and all.
"No need," Nex said, breathing a sigh. He palmed the black knight, holding it out towards her. "I got ours."
"What? How could—" Weiss said, glaring at the black knight. "Don't tell me you were out all night. Alone."
Her eyes swerved from his palm towards the altar. There were no other black knight pieces left. And there had only been a single chess set. She was definitely intelligent enough to count the remaining pieces, and arrive at the right conclusion.
Oh well, oh well.
Weiss Schnee was going to find out eventually.
Nex shrugged, putting on his best smile. "What can I possibly say? I had a lot of trouble sleeping."
Weiss heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I should be mad, but I can't argue with results. And, it does speak volumes about your initiative. Ahead of time even. Well played, partner."
Yeah, what she said, even if she seemed a little out of breath. But still, it was definitely debatable—whether Weiss being acclimated to his particular brand of crazy was a bad thing or not.
Blake and Ruby hopped away from the altar, the latter holding up a black knight similar to theirs.
If the boisterous professor could be trusted, then the pairs who retrieved a matching relic formed a four-man team—a team like Team SSJW. And there were probably worse people to live with than Ruby and Blake. Gods forbid he ended up on a team with Yang or Jaune. There was no way they would not be tempted to sneak out—especially for a couple of drinks. Even worse, on a team with both Yang and Jaune. He could not have possibly lived with them without turning into his father.
Case in point—when a pair of blondes crashed through the far wall, demolishing the cracked stone.
Ugh.
What did the poor, innocent wall ever do to them?
Chapter 23
Two things.
One, screw Yang.
Two, screw Yang and Jaune.
A golden stinger the size of a cow smashed through the far wall, sending the pair of blondes careening into the chamber, along with a metric fuckton of stone and dust.
Thankfully, not the explosive kind.
Jaune Arc and Yang Xiao Long tumbled on the short grass, a flailing tractor of pure blondness, kicking up dirt and dried leaves. Nothing stopped the pair from crashing into the opposite wall. Specks of rock rained over their entangled forms, a collective groan slipping from their lips.
The monster roared, ramming its bulky carapace into the man-sized gap.
Bit by bit, the Deathstalker was forcing its mass into the chamber. The wall would probably give in after twenty seconds—a modest estimate, judging from how bone armour ground against the aged rock. Chipping it away into crumbs, much like how Ruby was with her cookies. Or him with his bagels, even.
Nex sighed, reaching for his longsword. "I'm not getting paid enough for this bullshit."
Scratch that.
No one was paying him at all.
"Yang, Jaune, hang on!"
Crescent Rose shot the Deathstalker right in its face.
Fuck.
A red glyph spewed fire, singeing the bone-white plates.
Double fuck.
Blake's semi-automatic spat a rain of bullets, pelting the Deathstalker.
Fuckity fuck.
The trio's firing line would only increase the rate of its squirming.
It roared, flattening his extra pair of ears. Lightning burst through his skull as more cracks ripped across the wall.
Oh gods. No. Stop agitating the bulletproof Grimm.
Was it too late to time-travel back to The Club and get a mug of iced tea? Preferably on the rocks with three scoops of white, and no alcohol whatsoever.
"Vomit Boy, go get us a relic," Yang said, springing to her feet. "Hurry before this thing collapses."
Jaune scrambled to stand, grabbing his sword and shield. "Yeah, sure, partner. Jaune-express, coming right up."
Now if only a dark shadow did not cast itself over them, then it would have made the day a lot better.
The Nevermore's silhouette fell like the early coming of the apocalypse—a black kite blotting out the sun.
What the fuck?
Nex blinked and rubbed his eyes. Five times, even.
And of course, the scene did not change.
A pair of students hung from the Grimm, the woman's warhammer forcing the Nevermore's head to look up while the man's blades dug into its neck. There was absolutely no way these students were crazier than him. But they certainly came to a close second.
"Alright," Nex said, halfway through drawing his longsword. "This is—"
"Whohooo!"
The woman sang, plummeting straight through the gap on the roof. Her companion followed, rolling as he hit the floor, even as the woman herself exploded—a crater inches deep right in front of the altar.
Nex rolled his eyes. Rookie trainees.
Only people with aura would have made such a ballsy landing. But then again, only people with a severe lack of self-preservation would have ridden a literal monster through a forest.
It earned them a lot of style points, though. They could have dropped some fireworks and confetti, or landed with more flips, but that was just nit-picking.
The woman grabbed a relic, tossing it to her partner. Said partner pocketed the white piece, his eyes fixed on the Deathstalker—the one almost finished with bulldozing the wall. He held two submachine guns with blade attachments. But thank the gods he did not join the firing squad.
"See, Renny?" the woman said, hefting her weapon over her shoulder. It was a fucking grenade launcher. Oh gods. No. Please. "The big birdy worked."
Nex rolled his eyes, his eyebrows twitching. Yeah, sure—it did work.
It worked by bringing two very big and very deadly Grimm together. At the crumbling ruins of an old temple, even.
Smart plan right there. Easily genius calibre. Almost as good as shooting at bulletproof Grimm.
Thus, Nexus Shade fell back, stepping away from the altar. Stopping right beside Weiss Schnee. He placed a hand on her sword arm, tugging at her wrist. No point in wasting any more of the more expensive dust. More expensive since Roman and Cinder happened.
"We gotta go, partner," Nex muttered, shaking his head. "Not a very good idea. Definitely not in this place."
"I see your point," Weiss said, nodding. She smiled, glancing at his hand. The one on her wrist. "Let's go."
The wall crumbled, and the Deathstalker announced its presence, pincers clicking in his extra pair of ears. A shadow swooped down, whooshing, its talons poised to snatch them off the sweet, solid ground. Their security blanket, even.
Shit.
They sprinted out of the ruins, the rickety bridge just ahead.
The Deathstalker crawled after them. It skittered on the grass, hissing, the rage in its bead-like crimson eyes palpable.
The Nevermore kept pace with its terrestrial cousin, wings flapping in his extra pair of ears. Its red eyes peered through the clouds, hungry for human meat. Not that Grimm needed sustenance, but the metaphor was there.
"Watch out!" Ruby said as they crossed the bridge, just a few steps behind her. "It's gonna dive!"
A black meteor crashed into the bridge.
Boom.
The world fell.
Gravity tugged at his limbs.
Weiss smashed into a black glyph, launching her towards Ruby. The silver-eyed girl caught her, arms wrapping around her shoulders.
Blake stabbed her swords into the cliff, her legs dangling as she held on to dear life.
Nex flailed, the blue sky so far away, his coat fluttering. He gritted his teeth. Cold seeped into his toes.
The white clouds.
So far away.
Just out of reach.
Curse his lack of a flight semblance.
Curse his lack of faunus wings.
Both Pareidolia and his brain screamed—twin banshees wailing between the walls of his skull.
Darkness closed.
The wind tussled his fringe, blowing past his neck.
Dust.
Hard light.
Gravity.
Like Weiss.
He needed Vigilance—
A dog barked.
"Fuck yeah!" Nex said, his back slamming into steel. He smirked and swiped at his bracer. The battery was half-gone. It would have to last. "And fuck you, gravity!"
He stood up, balancing himself on the slab of metal. The board swerved around stone, lifting him up the abyss. Crumbs of rock stung his eyes. He squinted.
Blake was climbing the cliff with her blade and sheathe. Rivers of sweat raced down her neck, her arms shaking as she stabbed her sword into the jagged rock, heaving herself up another foot.
Nex stopped beside her, holding out his hand. "Hey, Blake. You're not afraid of flying, are you?"
Blake glared at the corgi face plate like it was stupid. It was most definitely not. But still, she took his hand, hoisting herself up the hoverboard.
"Thank you," Blake said, smiling as she shot him a look. It was definitely a shy little thing—like how her partner was at Signal. "Nex."
Blake's back pressed into his chest, the ghost-ninja just a few inches taller. Sweat clung to his torso, the heat seeping through her shirt.
But still, they had to manage. Slowly. As to not send them off the board.
Thus, it took a few minutes before they emerged—the sun warming his cheeks.
Nex leapt, landing between Weiss and Ruby.
The Nevermore squawked, circling over them.
The two blondes along with the crazy pair engaged the Deathstalker, waging a war on the other side of the broken bridge. An explosive one, judging from the booms and the high-pitched, Weiss-like screams of one Jaune Arc.
"Nex," Weiss said, breathing a moist sigh. "I thought I lost you."
Nex shrugged, drawing his sword and scabbard. "And leave you alone? Not a chance, partner."
Pinions whistled.
Vigilance expanded, the feathers pinging off its rim.
Ruby fired off a few shots, missing every single one of them.
The Nevermore was too fast. Too unpredictable—too enraged for human eyes to track. Or even his semblance. Spamming his weapon's cannon form would be stupid. The risk of hitting the four across the bridge was too great, and the risk of overheating his weapon, even more so.
Blake got the right idea, trying to swipe at it every time it took a dive.
Screw it.
There had to be something that could kill the avian Grimm.
Some way to exact payback.
"Hey, guys!" Nex said. The Nevermore's flight pattern was erratic. It traced circles around them, dipping and flopping and swerving. Crude. No rhythm at all. "We need to clip its wings."
Weiss spun another glyph, launching a salvo of fire bolts—and missing. "How do we do that?"
"Maybe we need to distract it?" Ruby said, frowning. "Keep it in one place so we can get a clear shot."
That idea had merit.
Nex dug his heels into the dirt. Another volley of feathers clanged off his shield.
Apparently, Blake gave up on scoring a slash. She began firing at the monster's eyes.
It shrieked—a shriek that could have cracked a glass of wine.
Nex winced, his extra pair of ears flattening. The monster was really asking for it.
"I've got the distraction part covered," Nex said, bringing his bracer to his lips. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "This is Developer Shade to Atlesian Contender Mark 1. Engage the Nevermore in a protracted firefight. Then proceed to feint to ground level, over."
A dog barked.
The hoverboard sliced through the air, cutting a blur towards the giant bird. Miniature cannons protruded from its frame. The cannons spun, whirring as they pelted the Nevermore with prime, dust-infused bullets.
Not confetti. At least, not anymore.
The bird screamed, talons clawing at the hoverboard. Every time it did, the hoverboard slipped between its limbs and continued firing at its exposed back.
Holy shit.
It was an aerial face-off between a flying corgi and a giant bird.
"That is so awesome," Ruby said, practically star-struck as she stared at the fight. It was straight out of an Atlesian commercial—the ones on the giant billboards. "Can I have it? Can you make another?"
Blake stared at the scene over the broken bridge. Her gun stopped firing.
Well, not entirely unexpected.
Weiss grinned. "While I can't deny my partner's creations are as brilliant as ever, we have a test to finish. There's a second part to this plan, right?"
"Yep," Nex said, nodding. "And it's right about... now."
The hoverboard flipped through the air.
The Nevermore swerved, following its trajectory.
A black meteor crashed.
This time into hard, unyielding dirt.
Ruby flickered, roses blazing on her path. Crescent Rose wound itself around the Nevermore's unarmored neck. She pulled, her scythe howling.
The Nevermore crashed skull-first into a blue glyph, stopping the monster in its tracks. It drove Crescent Rose even deeper into its flesh.
The monster's head flew, staining the grass crimson.
All in all, it was a good fight.
By the time they returned to Beacon, the sun was already at its zenith.
Midday came too soon, drenching his back with sweat as they lined up in the auditorium.
Ozpin and his blonde deputy stood on the stage.
The crowd murmured, and the ones who failed to retrieve any of the chess pieces left the auditorium, taking their bags with them. His theory was right—there was no way Beacon could accept every prospective student. The number that remained in the auditorium, about sixty students or so, was a more manageable amount.
If he did not retrieve the relic the night before initiation, then it was possible he would be leaving along with the rejected students.
But still, that was in the past.
It was time to live in the present.
"Pyrrha Nikos. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. You have retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forth, you will work together as Team PWDS, pronounced as Peridots. Led by... Pyrrha Nikos!"
The same redhead from the Sanus Festival walked up the stage, along with three unknown students. All males. They took their spots in front of the headmaster, the screen behind them displaying their faces. The three men grinned, waving their arms at the clapping audience. Pyrrha Nikos smiled, her hands pinned to her sides. Eventually, Team PWDS returned to stand with the rest of them.
"Jaune Arc. Yang Xiao Long. Lie Ren. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you have retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forth, you will work together as Team AXRN, pronounced as Auburn. Led by... Jaune Arc!"
The four that fought the Deathstalker leapt up the stage.
Yang shook her head, punching Jaune's shoulder. Vomit Boy flinched and almost fell off the edge. But still, the two blondes grinned as they faced the standing ovation. The woman with the orange hair lashed out, definitely trying to do the same with the black-haired man. He dodged the fist before it could even land. The woman pouted, jumping off the stage. Eventually, the rest of Team AXRN followed and stopped to stand with the rest of them.
"Weiss Schnee. Nexus Shade. Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. You have retrieved the black knight pieces, with Miss Schnee and Mr Shade setting the record for fastest relic retrieval in Beacon history."
Their faces flashed on the giant screen. His mugshot emphasized his extra pair of ears while Blake's emphasized her bow.
The crowd chattered, all eyes turning to look at them.
Weiss flushed, ducking her head, her eyes fixed on her navel. She stiffened—an icicle in the middle of a hot day.
Nex shrugged, nudging her hip. Her shoulders twitched, definitely to copy his shrug. No harm, no foul. Nothing in the rules said they could not retrieve the relic before the test started. And it seemed the headmaster acknowledged that, seeing fit to mention it to the crowd and even set it as the new record.
"From this day forth, you will work together as Team SSBR, pronounced as Snowbear."
This was it.
No, this was totally it.
The one moment that could decide his entire time at Beacon.
Two of the same letters fronted their team's admittedly cool name. It was between Weiss and him. The SS—the Schnee and the Shade. It was between sleep and probably attending meetings reserved for team leaders. Between dozing off and leading the firing squad that could not just stop shooting at bulletproof Deathstalkers.
If he had his way, it would be Weiss. And surely, if Weiss had her way, it would be Weiss.
Definitely nothing less from her.
Certainly not from the more than competitive woman known as Weiss Schnee.
"Led by... Nexus Shade!"
But reality saw fit to turn that dream into paper, shredding it into tiny, itty bitty pieces. Then fate took a massive, ball-curdling shit on those torn pieces and chucked them into a dumpster fire. All the while destiny poured some gas and alcohol, cackling while the bitch strangled, hanged, and quartered his dreams of sleep. Kicking them straight into hell.
Please.
Why?
Oh fucking why?
"Fuckity fuck," Nex muttered under his breath. His partner grabbed his hand and practically dragged him up the stage. Squirming, giggling, and all. She was definitely more on the second. "This is so not my day..."
"Chin up, partner," Weiss said, flashing him a wide smile. Team SSBR stood in front of the clapping audience, even as she squeezed his hand, her fingers laced through his. "This is a big day for you."
Fuck.
Fuckity fuck.
If only she knew better.
Chapter 24
Admittedly, it was spacious.
First impressions mattered, especially since it was going to be their nest for the next four years or so.
The dorms of Beacon Academy had four beds, a door that opened via electronic terminal—one keyed into their scrolls, an air-conditioner embedded into the ceiling, and a wooden closet complete with their standard-issue uniforms. It was probably big enough to store all of their clothes. There was even an ensuite bath with a door that locked from the inside.
A large window offered a wonderful view of the courtyard—the fountain shimmery-red in the middle, along with the marble-cut statue of some hero or another. He would have tried jumping out, if not for the fact that an impromptu skydiving session would have definitely traumatized his new team.
"Doesn't it look bare?" Ruby said, her eyes darting between the plain, brown walls and the beds pushed against one corner. "Hey, Nex. As team leader, you gotta order us to redecorate."
Blake nodded, sprawled out on one of the beds, lying on her stomach. "We should probably clean up as well."
The sound of water hitting tiles rang out of the ensuite.
Weiss was taking her shower while the rest of them waited in their combat apparel. Thank his nose for not being as sensitive as his extra pair of ears. The discrepancy between his enhanced senses was probably due to his half-heritage—a hybrid between a human and a faunus. There was no way to know for sure, but the scarce research on the subject led credence to the hypothesis.
It was something to thank his father for, at least.
But it certainly did not make up for ten years of his life. Or even his mother's life.
Oh well, oh well.
Fuck it all then.
Nex shrugged, peeling off his boots and placing them on the brown, wooden floor. His socks followed. "Sure. But let's all take a shower first."
Blake nodded. "I agree. It's better when we're more comfortable."
Nex wiggled his toes. He swiped at his bracer, the lack of stimulus ice around his brain.
The blue hologram flickered, along with his full aura bar. He tapped on one of the filled boxes.
It was something to work on, at least. A hypothesis that, if true, could enhance his versatility by tenfold. If the nano-bots could be programmed to form his mother's cuirass, then it was possible they could be made into weapons. Or even other, more useful objects like ropes and stuff. Maybe even wings—wings that could have really helped in the Emerald Forest.
He smiled, rearranging the dots on the hologram.
It was like painting on a scroll, except he was designing new weapons instead of drawing a landscape. Each dot represented a single nano-bot, with only a finite amount of dots to create objects. Those objects could not use dust or ammunition.
At least, not yet.
The Atlesian tech was bare-bones, and limited in its capabilities. There were probably glitches somewhere, but glitches that never happened were an impossibility. Everything had its flaws. Its weaknesses. It was his job as a technician to compensate for them.
"What's that?" Ruby said, staring at the hologram. "A new scroll?"
Nex swiped away the filled box. The hologram displayed the interface one might see on an ordinary scroll. Better to conceal what it really was. "It's experimental Atlesian tech—basically a fancy scroll with extra stuff. Not available to the public, but someone gave me a working model for my birthday."
Right.
A certain, drunk father who just so happened to be missing a pair of balls.
Fuck it.
At least the new duds were useful.
Ruby took the spot beside him, the plump foam sinking under their combined weight. She grinned at the hologram, her eyes tracing it down to his bracer. Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes fixed on his mother's emblem.
The golden wolf howled at the moon, its snout almost touching the shattered base.
Admittedly, it was eye-catching, especially since the gold was cut into a clear, silvery surface.
"Whose emblem is that? The wolf howling at the moon," Ruby said. "Your emblem is the two swords on the kite shield, right?"
Nex shrugged. A few days ago, the question might have bitten his tongue off. "It was my mother's. Think of it as my remembrance."
One of the scarce few he had, admittedly. There was his guitar, his onesie—Amariss sewed that one herself for his sixth birthday, just resized once he grew bigger, and Oathkeeper and Vigilance. The third one was definitely more useful than the other two. His mother would have agreed. But then again, the guitar did see him through some penniless nights. His onesie, the cold and lonely ones. And it was so like his mother—always looking for him even if she was already dead and buried. Or even dead due to life circumstances.
"I'm sorry," Ruby said, blinking. She frowned, her hands stiff over her lap. "I didn't know."
Of course. Undoubtedly, no one told her. Not even her dear uncle. And it certainly spoke a lot about him.
Nex smiled, ruffling her hair—she pouted. "Don't worry about it. I've moved on from angsting about my past."
Mekel would have called him a reformed edge lord. Not that he was an edge lord.
Of course not.
Everyone had the right to angst and be moody sometimes. In the case of his past self—just months ago, even—it was probably most of the time.
No wonder Jaune and Yang called him Broody Face.
Something from those days must have stuck to him like glue on paper. But he could hardly blame himself. His facial muscles were already used to being a Broody Face. It was too much trouble to practice more smiles in the mirror.
Gods forbid.
Mirrors were definitely gone from his life. He shaved and combed for years without them, maintaining enough personal hygiene to not stink like a certain someone. And even smell like strawberries under the summer rain. Surely he could keep it up.
Ruby hummed as he shut off the hologram. "I have my mother's emblem, too. It's the rose on my dress. Her name was Summer. Summer Rose."
Right.
However Summer Rose and Amariss Shade died, his father had no plans to tell him.
No balls, even.
"I know," Nex said. "I met her when I was a kid."
Ruby glanced at him, looking like a mouse caught in the act. "You did? Where?"
"She visited our flat with your uncle," Nex said. "I think they went on a mission. It's the only time we met, actually."
Some sort of last mission, whatever it was. For the greater good.
Well, it was certainly his mother's last mission, seeing as his father was probably getting drunk somewhere. Or maybe even getting fucked on the road of life. More lien on the second.
Ruby smiled, bouncing off the bed. "Right. Uncle Qrow. I guess we can remember our moms together then."
Huh. That was a thought.
But there really was no point in sitting around like they were old men past their prime, reminiscing about what had been. Or what could have been.
They could only keep moving forward.
And it was his burden.
Not hers.
"I'm finished," Weiss said, the ensuite's door swinging open. She was dressed in a pale blue blouse embroidered with little snowflakes, the same one she always wore in the hospital. A white towel wrapped around her hair, droplets glistening on her slender neck. "Who wants to take a shower?"
Nex shrugged, glancing at the silver-eyed girl. "Ruby?"
"I want to go next," Ruby said, smiling. "Blake?"
Blake looked up from her book, her chin propped up on the edge of the bed. "I'll go last."
Amber eyes returned to the book's pages. Its cover betrayed nothing. The title on the loose, black sleeve—The Man With Two Souls, even less than nothing.
Well, what would having two souls be like though?
"Nex," Weiss said. "Lien for your thoughts?"
Nex looked up.
Weiss was standing right in front of him, balancing on the tip of her toes. She smiled, crumpling the towel away from her hair. The white waterfall cascaded down to her waist. Her scent flitted through his nostrils. Vanilla, flowers and baby blue—the exact scent she had that night in the barbecue place, minus the powder. She smelled the same in the hospital, but that scent was spoiled by the sting of alcohol.
"Just thinking why they made me leader," Nex said. That, and other inconsequential things. Curse his wandering brain. "I mean, you're certainly more capable of talking to people. And organizing stuff, even."
Weiss plopped down beside him, shifting the sheets. "I thought about that as well. But then I realized that's exactly why."
Great.
"Beacon wants students that aren't good at leading to be leaders," Nex said, nodding. "So they can learn how."
It did not lessen his desire to pass on the role to his partner, and it was doubtful she would agree even if he asked. But he was chosen to be the team leader. He had to adapt as best as he could. Well, it was never too late to learn. Maybe he could learn how to be a team leader and be a sleepyhead at the same time.
"Exactly, Mr Shade," Weiss said, bobbing her head into a nod. She flashed him a smile, batting her eyelashes. Her voice sank into a breathy whisper. "If you desire, I can impart some of my diplomacy training to you. I would require significant compensation, but I'm sure you can manage."
Blake glanced at his partner, red swimming over her cheeks. She buried her face back into the book.
How odd.
The fourth recruit of their high society reacted to something just now. But it was doubtful she was eager to tell them, seeing as she was immersed in whatever it was in the book.
Two souls.
Maybe it was a theoretical treatise on aura or something—some sort of controversial research buried under the pretence of not shocking the public or introducing too much change, especially since the Grimm would have a literal smorgasbord if the public so much as twitched the wrong way. But still, a single person having two souls. Maybe even having two semblances.
Fascinating.
"And what sort of compensation would you require, Miss Schnee?" Nex said, grinning. There was no point in continuing that particular line of thought. Not when his partner was here, wanting to talk. "I can't offer you anything but myself. Maybe you want me to hold an umbrella? Pitch my tent with you? Or maybe you want me to spend the night with you, so I can stay until morning?"
Weiss shook her head, giggling as she probably recalled all of those times. "I think I'll have to settle for you, Mr Shade."
Blake reddened, steam pouring out from her ears. She sunk her nose even deeper into the book. If both of those were even physically possible.
Well, if she was feeling shy and awkward, then they would have to give her time to open up. Forcing people into doing stuff they did not want to do was distasteful.
Everyone had a choice. Far be it from him to deny them that.
The door to the ensuite swung open.
Ruby came out, dressed in her black pyjamas. It was the same one in the ballroom yesterday. Probably a different set, though.
"I'm done," Ruby said, holding a splotched, blood-red towel in one hand. "It's our leader's turn."
Nex shrugged, grabbing a midnight-blue towel along with another set of his onesies. "I'm going, I'm going. Don't shoot stuff while I'm gone."
Three pairs of eyes turned to him, definitely confused.
Well, he never claimed to be very good at expressing thoughts with words. His weapons definitely spoke better.
Nex stepped into the ensuite, locking the door behind him. A shower hung on one corner, while a toilet, a sink, a cabinet and a mirror completed the look. It resembled the bathroom in his flat. He flipped off the light, casting the ensuite into darkness.
Old habits died hard.
Ghosts died even harder.
And...
It was better to not see himself in the mirror at all.
Or to hear himself speak, even.
But that one was debatable.
Thus, Nexus Shade came out fresh and garbed in his silver onesie. His musky clothes would need a trip to the laundromat. Convenient that Beacon just so happened to have everything. And for free, too. It was definitely lien well-spent, unlike the money-grubbing of the politicians in Atlas.
"Blake," Nex said. His bare feet padded on the floor, the cold seeping into his soles. "Your turn."
The shy ghost-ninja stood up, holding her clothes and her black towel to her chest. She strode into the darkness. The door locked with a click.
"So, we gotta redecorate," Ruby said, placing a hand on her waist. "Say the word, team leader, and we'll put out some stuff."
Weiss nodded, smiling as her eyes roved over the cute little wolf on his chest. Understandable. It was that cute. "Yes. Our dorm does look a bit drab."
Nex sunk into the bed beside his partner—who smiled and leaned a little bit into him. Their luggage was shoved against the far wall of their dorm—the stuff they wanted to put out. But still, their last teammate was still in the shower. "Let's wait for Blake. This is a team effort."
Even if the ghost-ninja seemed to be the silent stalker type, she was still the Blake of Team SSBR. The B, even.
That had to count for something, right?
Weiss was correct. It took time to form chemistry between pairs—time that could also be applied to their team. The fact that three-fourths of his team was part of the socially challenged elite meant the process would take longer.
But they had time.
Four years, in fact.
He could kick back and relax. Watch his teammates grow from the sidelines. Maybe he could catch some much-needed shut-eye while they did their own thing. And well, they did not really need him.
Did they?
Blake came out ten minutes later—a minuscule amount of time compared to the period Weiss took. She was dressed in a black yukata—traditional Mistralian wear. Rare to see in Atlas, but fashionable enough that some stores advertised the articles of clothing through their glass walls.
"Blake, we're ready to redecorate. As a team," Nex said, covering his mouth as he yawned. It was highly probable they were all tired. But then again, none of his teammates missed sleep and did the initiation at night. "Any ideas?"
Blake shot them a look. "I'll go with whatever you want. I have no preferences."
Ruby cringed, tapping the floor with her slippers. "Yeah... We'll just see where it goes then."
His team snapped into action.
Nex stood by the window, pointing where stuff needed to go and where stuff did not need to go. He was supervising because he was the leader, and not because his body weighed like two Deathstalkers combined. Seriously, fuck those bulletproof Deathstalkers.
In hindsight, it was definitely why huntsmen and huntresses commissioned blunt weapons. Like that orange-haired woman, even.
By the time the girls were done, their dorm looked like an eclectic cafe in Atlas.
Posters of weapons and gadgets stuck to the wall with the doorway. A shelf filled with books stood against one wall—how Blake managed to fit the shelf in her luggage was a mystery. His acoustic guitar hung beside the shelf, the sleek silver contrasting the brown wood. Some sort of entertainment system sat on the bookshelf's opposite side.
Ruby had to fight both Blake and Weiss for that one—Blake wanted to put more bookshelves while Weiss wanted to put a painting.
Ruby's entertainment system was adjoined to a writing desk big enough for four people. Their beds occupied the wall across the bookshelf, with only inches of space between them. A dining table and the closet took up the windowed wall.
It was a tight fit, but they had to manage.
"Doesn't it look a bit cramped?" Weiss said, frowning as she stared at their beds. "Maybe we should get rid of something."
Both Blake and Weiss glared at Ruby's fancy computer.
The silver-eyed girl pouted, definitely looking at him for help.
Nope. No way he could win that fight. Not even all the lien in the world could have convinced him to save a gaming console. It was much more efficient to play video games on a scroll.
Not that he played those. It was more productive, and even fun, to tinker with the scroll itself.
Nex shrugged, offering her a mournful smile. He was trying to sympathize with the fifteen-year-old kid. It was true. He most definitely was.
"Don't look at me," Nex said, killing the yawn in his chest. "I've got to be impartial. Because I'm the team leader. Yeah."
Yep. That was his story. He was definitely sticking to it.
Let them choose what they want. It would probably shave off a lot of time from group sessions, if they needed to decide something. Time he could use for sleep.
"I know," Ruby said, grinning. She pumped her fist. "Let's stack the beds and make bunk beds."
Weiss shook her head. "That seems unsafe. Isn't it?"
"I agree," Blake said, covering a yawn with her elbow. "The beds might collapse while we're asleep."
Ruby frowned, staring at the ghost ninja.
Three pairs of eyes looked to him for guidance.
Being team leader was definitely turning out to be balls. Balls-deep-sixty-nine, even—if they were in Mantle instead of Vale. Whatever that one meant.
Damn. He was too tired for this.
What did they say again?
Compromise.
Yep.
That was the word.
"I can weld the beds together," Nex said, heaving a sigh. "I'm something of a technician myself."
Now, where were his tools again?
He needed to get some shut-eye, before his lids committed first-degree murder.
Chapter 25
Get your head in the fight, Vomit Boy," Nex said, slowing his sword arm to a crawl. "Or someone will take it off you."
Jaune's blue eyes squinted, following the telegraphed path of Hrunting.
Painful.
Vomit Boy raised his shield.
Hrunting landed on Crocea Mors with the mewling of steel against steel.
Ugh.
Was it too late to go all hardcore on Jaune?
Just like that first day.
"Ha!" Jaune said, smirking. "Take that, Broody Face."
It was definitely a mistake. One should not block a sword directly. A more efficient way was to let the sword slide off the shield's surface at an angle.
"Good. You know how to hide behind your shield," Nex said, following up with another thrust. More force than usual. "Try to deflect this one. Don't just block it directly."
Hrunting slid off the tilted shield, but the blonde was awfully unprepared when Vigilance smashed into his sword arm.
Jaune flinched, dropping Crocea Mor's blade on the stone of Beacon's courtyard. It landed with a resounding clang. "That was dirty. I thought you're supposed to use the shield to block."
The students passing through the central square regarded them with interest, before they probably concluded it was just a slow, friendly spar and promptly went on with their lives. Most of them were already dressed in their uniforms, but more than a few were still in their night clothes.
The morning began at six, with Jaune knocking on their door. The girls were still asleep, with the exception of Ruby. They changed into their uniforms and went for an early breakfast. Afterwards, they chose to kill time by training. The silver-eyed warrior sat cross-legged on the grass. Crescent Rose leaned against the nearby fountain, still stuck in its folded form.
Nex shrugged, smirking as the blonde bent over to pick up his sword. "The shield isn't just for defence, Vomit Boy. It's a weapon—a damn good one."
"Go, Jaune!" Ruby said, grinning as she waved her arms over her head. "I believe in you! Kick our leader's butt!"
Nex shot her a look.
Ruby Rose squeaked, returning to her still, lifeless state. She was trying to slow down her relative time—he had the bright idea to make her sit still while she used her semblance. Her face scrunched up, her shoulders stiffening as she probably tried to slow her breath. Rose petals swirled around her, but the silver-eyed girl hardly twitched on the grass. She seemed to be making progress, if not for the fact that she stood up and ran laps around the fountain every now and then.
"Alright, Jaune. Lesson number two for today's shield training," Nex said. "The sword and the shield are dual-wielding weapons. Try to coordinate your attacks between them."
Jaune nodded, although the twitching of his cheeks revealed he did not understand at all. "What's lesson number one?"
Nex bashed Crocea Mor's shield with Vigilance, casting it aside.
Hrunting crossed the gap, delivering a stab at Jaune's exposed throat.
To his credit, the blonde's sword moved to the beginnings of a textbook parry. One that was beaten—ahem, taught into him at Vale. Day two, to be accurate.
But still, Vomit Boy was too slow. As expected.
Jaune froze, Hrunting's tip poking the stubble on his chin.
"Lesson number one. In a real fight, people don't run their mouths unless they want to piss someone off," Nex said, smirking as the blonde's eyes lingered on the barrels. "Let's reset. Try to go on the offence. Lead with your shield."
Nex hopped away, raising his sword and shield into a beginner's stance. Not the one he engineered for himself, but the one civilians saw on combat school pamphlets. There really was no point in teaching Jaune a fighting style designed for Hrunting and Vigilance. Not when Crocea Mors was a different weapon entirely.
"We'll start slow this time," Nex said, sweat running down the back of his neck. "You're still accustomed to using the shield exclusively for defence."
Jaune copied his stance. He rushed in, raising Crocea Mors' shield above his head.
Vomit Boy was probably planning to smash his skull while slashing at his torso. Not a very good plan exposing his core.
But still, the strategy would have worked if they were both beginners, with the blonde leveraging his bigger size. It showed Jaune's brain was working.
Vomit Boy still had hope yet.
Their swords clashed.
He would strike with his shield and Jaune would try his best to parry. Hrunting would collide with Crocea Mor's shorter blade, repeating a pattern some dubbed as the rookie's triangle.
They descended into a slow, rehearsed dance.
Fifty-seven repetitions later, and Jaune was already panting as he held his sword and shield.
Nex glanced at his bracer. The near-invisible HUD displayed the blue numbers eight and thirty-seven. Classes began at nine. They had to rest for twenty minutes, before using the remaining three minutes to go to the classroom.
Grimm Studies.
Call him a lazy person, but he was never late to any of his classes. There was a stark difference between being punctual and asleep and being late and asleep. The first could be forgiven, while the second would most definitely result in a detention.
"Let's continue this sometime tonight," Nex said. He collapsed Vigilance and sheathed Hrunting. Right where it belonged. "We have class in a few minutes."
Jaune nodded, doing the same with Crocea Mors. "Right. Thanks for caring, Broody Face."
"Who says I care, Vomit Boy?" Nex said, grinning as he shrugged. "Just making sure Team Auburn don't end up missing the A. That's all."
"Right," Jaune said, spinning to face the fountain. He flinched. "Oh no. They saw me."
Nex shrugged, glancing at the rest of their teams. They gathered around a petrified Ruby. Most of them sat by the fountain.
Weiss flashed him a small smile—a smile he returned.
Judging from their loose stances, they had been watching for quite some time.
"Does it really matter?" Nex said, quirking an eyebrow. "Training shows that you're willing to improve, not that you're weak."
Case in point—him.
Being wrecked by his mother practically every day was proof of the concept. Or even being lectured on the more esoteric properties of nature's wrath, ending up with scalds and freezer burns. But still, those were probably the best days ever.
Jaune nodded, pursing his lips. Seemingly considering the words. He fastened his weapon to his belt, walking towards Yang and the rest of his team. The female blonde wrapped an arm around her male counterpart's shoulder. Jaune winced, but the smile on his face revealed it did not hurt at all. The orange-haired girl—Nora, if his memory was correct—slapped Jaune on the back. That one made him wince for real. The boy called Ren hung back by the fountain, his eyes lingering on his team as they gathered around their leader.
"Eeeeep!" Ruby yelped, springing from the grass. The rose petals around her exploded. Water splashed from the fountain, drenching everyone in a five-foot radius. "Oh, no. I swear I didn't mean it!"
Nex chuckled, even as the wet students glared at the poor, silver-eyed girl.
Well, he did warn her messing with her semblance could have some unforeseen effects. Not that the scene was amusing. Of course not. There was no way a bunch of soaked students chasing Ruby around was funny.
He reserved a spot for her in his heart, his brain already preparing a eulogy should her assailants manage to land the final blow.
Weiss marched towards him, probably because it was futile to chase someone who could move at imperceptible speeds. She stopped right next to him, fixing the merry-go-round a frigid glare.
Not entirely unexpected.
"It's not funny," Weiss said, crossing her arms. She was definitely pouting.
Nex shrugged, snickering at the look on her face. "It's kinda funny."
Weiss frowned, fidgeting with the splotches on her jacket. Come to think of it, she looked almost like how she did at the Huntsman's Respite when the storm hit Atlas. That was after classes had been dismissed. There was no way she was attending the school year's very first class while soaking wet.
Nex touched Vigilance, drawing on the dust inside the scabbard. "Here. I've got a trick."
"Unless that trick can dry my uniform in twenty minutes," Weiss said. "I don't think it's going to be useful."
"Such faith. It just so happens, Miss Schnee," Nex drawled with a very patient smile. "That I do have a trick like that. Come here."
Weiss spun, the gentle swell of her chest almost pressing into his. Flowers and baby blue wafted up his nose. She tilted her face, her eyes staring low—fixed on a spot somewhere above his chin.
Huh.
Maybe he had a couple of breadcrumbs, some stray toothpaste, or even a milk moustache. But there really was no point in worrying about it. It would probably disappear on its own, whatever it was.
Well, hopefully.
"Like this, Mr Shade?" Weiss said, her lips curling into a smile.
Was it coy?
It was definitely coy. For inexplicable reasons. Sometimes, the woman known as Weiss Schnee did the strangest of things.
Nex shrugged. Whatever. "Yep."
Pareidolia engaged, searching for the future where he dried her uniform. It extrapolated the circumstances necessary to achieve his goal, calculating it from the data on dust he already had and the stimulus filtering into his brain. Heat gathered over his palm, the fire dust like the touch of the afternoon. He waved his hand over her uniform. Steam rose from the splotches, the water dissipating into thin air.
Weiss gasped, staring at his hand. "That's physically impossible. No one can use dust like that. Not without a precision tool."
"What can I say, Miss Schnee?" Nex said, grinning as he lowered his hand. Her uniform looked like it came fresh from the laundry. "I can see the future. I just looked for the right one."
Not exactly, but the idea was there.
Weiss arched an eyebrow. "That is a useful trick, indeed, Mr Shade. I'm getting really jealous of your semblance."
Admittedly, Pareidolia had its uses. But her glyphs were probably more versatile.
Weiss smirked, grabbing his tie. "Who taught you how to tie a tie?"
She tugged on the stupid thing, shifting it over his torso. Her trimmed nails brushed his neck. Well, it was probably not his fault. Certainly not since it was Ruby and Jaune who wanted to go fast.
Why did it even matter, anyway?
"I learned on my own," Nex said, shrugging. "I can't just ask anyone, can I?"
Weiss grinned. Her hot palms pressed on his chest. It was almost like she was leaning in—eyes half-lidded and all. Just like that one time at the hospital. Her heart pounded, racing through his extra pair of ears.
"You know you can ask me..." Weiss whispered, her breath flush on his chin—coffee and what was definitely salt on buttery croissants. "Right?"
He could have. But then again, she was still asleep. Far be it from him to wake a sleeping Mt. Weiss.
Yang whistled, butting her head between them. "Whoa. That's a neat trick, Broody Face. Care to do the same?"
Weiss flinched and hopped away. She scowled, her eyes drilling holes into Yang's back. The Mt. Weiss signature glare, even.
Nex sighed, glancing at the rest of Teams AXRN and SSBR.
They stood behind Yang, forming a line that would have made Atlas Primary proud. And that was saying something. Water dripped from their uniforms, tracking black spots all over the white stone.
Ruby scratched the back of her head. She grimaced, fidgeting behind the ghost ninja as they brought up the end of the line.
"Alright," Nex said. Screw it. "One by one then."
It was twenty minutes well-spent.
"Monsters! Demons! Prowlers of the night! Yes, the Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey!"
Professor Port guffawed at something he alone found funny.
His head crashed into the wood.
Ruby followed his lead, slumping to his right.
But still, his partner's pen pressed on with its insane scratching.
How Weiss had the sheer willpower to listen to the man's inane ramblings was a mystery. She sat on his left, her heel gently sliding up against his calf. Apparently, it was already a routine for her. For them, even.
Blake sat one row below, a book propped open on her desk.
Grimm Studies was probably interesting, even useful. But his semblance failed to predict their professor would commit mass genocide as soon as class started.
Mass genocide of air and brain cells, that is.
"How are you doing this?" Nex murmured into his jacketed sleeve. Like the one from Atlas Primary, just a different colour. And way thinner. Probably because Vale was warm instead of cold. "There's no way you can write all of that."
Weiss moved her pen even faster. The scratching reached a crescendo, breaking into arpeggios that would have been right at home in his favourite bangers. "Immense concentration, partner. Honed on the gruelling battlefields of boardroom meetings."
Boardroom meetings did not work like that, but maybe his partner had a point. Now if only she stopped prodding his leg, then he could have fallen asleep and time-travelled into the next class.
But then again, Weiss would not be Weiss if she stopped.
And well, he was the master of tuning out people who gave long-winded lectures. It was a skill that saw him through Atlas Primary. And it would probably see him through the rest of this class.
Ruby's pen scratched something on a piece of paper, slower than Weiss'.
Holy shit.
She was actually taking notes.
"Psht, Nex," Ruby said, grinning as she shoved a piece of paper into his face. "What do you think?"
Apparently, he was wrong.
It was a caricature of a certain portly, moustached professor. Curvy lines radiated from the man as he waved his stick-thin arms. There was some chicken scratch on the bottom—Professor Poop.
"I think my partner would be scandalized," Nex whispered, grinning at Professor Poop. He chuckled into his sleeve. "Best not show her. But your leader is proud. Very proud."
Ruby nodded triumphantly, raising her chin even more.
Weiss wrote even faster, fixated on Professor Port's embellished tale.
Blake turned a page in her book.
Ruby tapped her shoulder. She passed the caricature to Blake, blowing a raspberry.
Blake smiled, giggling as she stared at the paper.
Ruby grinned—a wide, milk-moustached smile that could have stopped time itself.
Blake passed Professor Poop on to Jaune and the rest of Team AXRN.
Snickers filled the air, even as Weiss' pen reached Ruby's levels of speed.
A lull came as her pen put down its last dot.
Finally.
Professor Poop stopped his inhuman rampage.
Nex drew a deep, deep breath.
Who knew sitting on a chair could be so fucking exhausting?
Beacon was truly a microcosm of Remnant, with—
"The moral of the story? A true huntsman must be honourable!"
"Ugh," Nex said, his chin crashing into the desk. "I thought he was done."
Weiss Schnee's pen resumed its frantic writing, his partner probably taken by surprise.
"A true huntsman must be dependable!"
Blake Belladonna closed her book, placing it under her desk.
"A true huntsman must be educated! Strategic! And wise!"
Ruby Rose stared holes into the ghost-ninja's back, a frown tugging on her lips. It was a far cry from the grin she wore moments ago. She glared at Professor Poop before she crumpled the doodle and shoved it into her skirt's pocket.
"Who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"
Ruby raised her hand, jumping from her seat. "I do! Well, I hope I do, professor."
Professor Port grinned under his moustache, gesturing at the cage behind him.
The bars shook, red eyes glaring at them.
One Boarbatusk.
Alone.
Definitely not a threat to the average huntsman, but probably a threat to huntsman trainees, unprepared in class as most of them certainly were.
Jaune had Crocea Mors. He had Hrunting and Vigilance under his desk. Ruby had Crescent Rose, the scythe hidden under the hood over her uniform.
But if the students panicked, then it had the potential to turn bloody.
Pareidolia buzzed, snapping away the darkness. All stimuli rushed into his brain. Calculating every possibility, funnelling those possibilities into his muscles.
"Very well then," Professor Port said, leaping to the side. "Step forward and face your opponent!"
Ruby dissolved into red petals.
The Boarbatusk rolled out of the cage.
Crescent Rose clicked, unfolding into its complete form.
The silver-eyed warrior stared down the monster, her crimson scythe in hand.
"Go Ruby!" Jaune said, his voice somehow more high-pitched. "Team Auburn believes in you!"
"Yeah!" Nora said, the grin on her face practically audible. "Go break its spine!"
"That's my sister!" Yang said, elbowing the ghost ninja. The one sitting beside her. "Hey Blake, gonna cheer your partner on?"
Blake shook her head, her hands wrapped around her book. "I don't want to distract her."
Bone crunched under steel.
Ruby twisted away, flipping Crescent Rose.
It howled.
The Boarbatusk rolled through the shots.
Ruby twirled, her scythe's tip cutting its stomach.
The monster growled, sprinting at the silver-eyed warrior with extended tusks.
"I wonder what just made her so motivated," Weiss said.
Nex shrugged, loosening his grip, brushing the triggers under his weapon's guard. A single squeeze and Hrunting and Vigilance would be deployed. In its full form, even. Well, only if it was necessary. "Who knows? I'm not exactly an expert on people."
And that was the truth.
He certainly had no clue as to why Ruby was suddenly so motivated to participate in Professor Poop's class. A few moments ago, she was doodling his face into a mocking caricature. A good one, but a mocking caricature still. One that would have definitely scandalized some celebrities in Atlas.
"Do you want to ask her?" Weiss said. "You are our team leader, after all."
"Nope," Nex said. "It's up to her if she wants to tell us or not."
Weiss smiled, even as she fixed him a look. "Yes. I suppose it doesn't matter, as long as she participates more in class. And so should you."
Nex shrugged. Nope. "Maybe in the far, distant future."
Maybe after they graduated.
Weiss heaved a sigh, turning towards the stage.
A squelch hit his extra pair of ears, the Boarbatusk's entrails spilling all over the brown floor.
Ruby hefted Crescent Rose over her shoulder. Apparently, she located the monster's weak point—its unarmoured stomach.
She spun, staring at them as she folded her scythe and placed it under her cloak.
Her grin flipped into a frown.
Weiss clapped, shooting him a look. Her knee even nudged his.
Nex shrugged and copied his partner—nothing to lose there.
Blake closed her book, clapping a grand total of three times. A slow clap, even.
Team AXRN definitely clapped and cheered louder than the three of them did.
"Bravo! Bra-vo! We are indeed in the presence of a true huntress-in-training!
The rest of their fellow students broke into applause, following their lead.
But still, they probably clapped more because of what would most certainly come next.
"And that's all the time we have for today. But be sure to cover the assigned readings. Dismissed!"
Great.
The frown on Ruby's face deepened as she jogged out the door.
Alone.
Nex sighed, sinking into his chair.
Troublesome.